Pax Griffin and the Boy Who Lived (year 1)
by LJCinE
Summary: Pax Malfoy-Griffin is far from a normal wizard. Over her childhood years she has learned she is a Squib. So when she receives a letter in the mail, her entire world is flipped upside-down, and she must learn to thrive in difficult situations. Throughout her adventures, she learns many things that change her life... for better or worse she has yet to discover.
1. Chapter 1: The Girl Who was a Squib

Chapter 1: The Girl Who was a Squib

Pax Malfoy-Griffin had never believed that she was a witch. Her parents insisted that she was, but by the time she was ten, they had begun to doubt it. She had never shown any signs of being one, and her parents suspected she was a Squib like her father.  
Mrs. Ariana Malfoy was Lucius Malfoy's younger sister, and indeed, had the whitish blonde hair that seemed to be characteristic of all Malfoys. Her blue eyes sparkled in contrast to her creamy white skin. She was a proficient witch, and was a secretary for the Minister of Magic. She was quite happy with her husband, even though the other Malfoys had disowned her for marrying a Squib and dirtying the pure wizard family line.  
Mr. Caleb Griffin was an American who was quite confused about England in general and was happy to let his wife deal with anything that had to do with money or politics. He had light brown hair and jolly green eyes, and was usually laughing about something or other. Every morning as Pax came into the kitchen he would sweep her up in a hug and chortle, "good morning, my little peacemaker!" and sit her down at the table for some breakfast, usually made by him.  
Her mother was usually away at work, so it was just them, living in their cottage in Godric's Hollow.  
She always listened attentively when her father told her of their dear friends, the Potters. Lily and James had died just a few days after she was born. Being so young, she had never gotten to truly meet their son, Harry. She could only hope that someday, they could meet, and that, wherever he was, he was fine and still living.  
Every morning, after breakfast, they would visit the Potter's tombs in the graveyard. She always picked wildflowers and laid them on the stone, their colorful colors a bright, cheery contrast to the creamy white marble.  
If it was winter, she would make little snowmen and put them upon the headstones, solemnly observing them for a moment before asking her dad to tell her their story again. He would smile and comply while sadly contemplating the tombstones. She would ask a million questions she already knew the answer to, but asked anyway because she loved hearing all the answers again. And as they walked away from the graveyard, she would always wave goodbye, imagining the couple from the statue waving back at her.  
As a child with a magical background, she would try to make something unusual happen, such as having a pine cone grow legs or making a flower bloom before it was ready. Nothing ever happened, and after her 7th birthday, she gave up trying and lived with the fact that she was a Squib for the next four years.  
So it was to her surprise when, two days after her birthday, and just as the Dursleys received Harry's first letter, an owl swooped into the Malfoy-Griffin's house, hooting impatiently and clicking its beak. She cautiously approached it, since her family rarely received Owl Mail, and even then, it was always for her mother. She looked around for her father, but then remembered that he had gone fishing with a friend of his and wouldn't be back until dinnertime.  
She rewarded the owl with a piece of bacon from her plate, which it happily gobbled down as she removed the parchment from its leg. In golden cursive writing on the front was her name. Her curiosity was quickly aroused, but she put it aside for her father to look at when he returned. She wandered back up to her room, where to her amazement, another owl was waiting. She grabbed a small treat and gave it to the owl, which hooted and flew away.  
Pax read the letter carefully. It was from her mother, and read:  
My dear Pax,  
If an owl comes by today with a parchment with your name written on it in gold ink, DON'T open it. We can look at it together when I get home this afternoon. Tell your father I'll be getting home early.  
Love, Mother

P.S. there should be another owl arriving at about noon. Do not open that one, either.  
Pax blinked. Her mother never came home early unless it was an emergency. What could possibly be in that mystery letter with her name on it? After some pondering, she came up with a conclusion: whatever that letter said was going to change their lives, whether for better or worse, she couldn't tell.


	2. Chapter 2: The Mysterious Letter

**Hey guys! So, this is a fanfiction I came up with a few days ago. Hope you enjoy it! **

**Chapter 2: The Mysterious Letter **

Pax was just sitting down to re-read her mother's letter over sandwiches when another owl swooped in. She checked her watch: it was exactly noon. She rewarded the owl and placed the letter with the one for her and sighed. She had five hours to wait at least until her parents returned home. She went back up to her room and began reading an old spell book she had taken from her father's study with his permission. She flipped through page after page of spells, desperately wishing that she could actually use them. She paused on a page titled "Hidden Magic". It intrigued her, so she began reading:

_It has recently_ (she snorted here, this book was at least 50 years old) _been brought to our attention that there are wizards in this world labelled 'Squibs'. They come from a magic background, yet show no signs of having magic themselves. However, after many studies, we believe that they do, indeed, have magical capabilities; they simply need a way to bring it to the surface. Our studies have shown that after a year in Wizarding School, 90% of aforementioned Squibs have been able to do magic. This shows that most Squibs are not true Squibs; rather, a better name for them would be Half-Moons. Less than 10% of the wizarding communities are true Squibs._

Pax pondered this. Was it truly possible for a Squib like her to use magic? Would her parents consider sending her to a Wizarding School? She hoped so, but what if it became a waste of money and she truly had no magic? Was she a Half-Moon or a true Squib? She didn't think she could bear the disappointment of being a true Squib. She wished she had a wand so she could try again. After all, it had been four years since her last attempt; perhaps her magic had broken through since then. She turned to the chapter titled "Wandless Magic" and began practicing.

An hour later, she threw the book aside in frustration. 'So much for being a Half-Moon', she thought angrily. She didn't know whether to cry, scream, or start throwing things. She sat breathing heavily, her head resting on her desk. She didn't move until she heard her parents downstairs, and even then she stayed in her room until her father called her down.

She reluctantly stood and promised herself that she wouldn't tell anyone about her attempts in the past hour, and she would never attempt to do magic again.

As she came downstairs, she met her parents, who were beaming, at the bottom of the stairwell. "What's going on?" she asked as her parents glanced at each other and back to her. Her mother motioned into the kitchen, where they sat down and handed her the letter. She read the letter and looked at her parents with wide eyes. "Seriously?" she squeaked.


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected News

**Chapter 3: Unexpected News **

"Seriously?" Pax's mother's smile faded. "You aren't pleased?" she asked.

"Well, I've been told all my life that I'm a Squib, and all of a sudden I get a letter from Hogwarts saying that they want me to come! Do you realize how insane it sounds? Why now?" Pax shouted. "Pax," her father soothed, "this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And they only just sent it because you only recently turned eleven." Pax shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I'll only make a fool of myself and look like a complete idiot," she said sadly. "You can choose whether you go or not, but we think it would be a good idea for you to do so," Ariana Malfoy said. Pax sighed. "May I think about it?" she pleaded. Her parents nodded, and she pushed her chair back from the table before marching upstairs to her room.

She flopped on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. After a few minutes of considering, she grabbed a piece of paper and made a list of the pros and cons of going to Hogwarts:

Pros:

~I can find out if I'm a Half-Moon

~I can make new friends

~I might meet my cousin, Draco Malfoy (assuming he'd talk to me)

~It's something that I can stop if I fail

Cons:

~I could publicly humiliate myself (oh, joy)

~Lots of purebloods, possible teasing

~I'm scared to go and fail

~I might not make any friends, because I'm different

She glared at the list and growled in frustration. On the one hand, she desperately wanted to go, but on the other, she was terrified to leave her parents. Finally, she made her decision.

She walked back down the stairs. "Mom? Dad?" she called. Her parents came out of her father's study. "Yes peacemaker?" her father said.

"I've made my decision. I'll go, but if I fail, I want to stop." Her parents nodded. "Well then, we'd best go to Diagon Ally soon to buy your things," her mother said. Her father smiled, then walked back into the study. Pax followed him.

"Father?" she asked hesitantly. He turned to her.

"Yes, my little peacemaker?"

"Have… have you ever thought that maybe you are a Half-Moon?"

He choked.

"I….." He sighed. "I once thought I might be one. A long time ago. And one day, I thought I had managed to use magic. It turns out it was a friend who wanted me to feel better, so he did it for me. After that day, I gave up trying." He looked at her steadily. "That's why I would like to see you go to Hogwarts. Don't give up."

Pax nodded. "That's what I thought too." She paused. "Aren't there four dorms at Hogwarts? Something like Huffy-Puff, Slathering, Griffindoes, and Ravensaw?"

Her father about died laughing.

"Oh, Pax, It's Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw," he gasped, wiping his eyes.

"Oh, yeah," she chuckled sheepishly. "Anyway, aren't you put in them based on what you are like?"

"In a way, dear Pax; you see, other factors add to it, as well. The Sorting Hat put it nicely when I was a student:

_In Gryffindor, bravery and loyalty are blessed, _

_In Hufflepuff, kindness and hope are called the best,_

_In Ravenclaw, those with a keen mind are a lure,_

_In Slytherin, valued is blood completely pure. _

Of course, there was more to the song, but that was many years ago, and that small fragment is all I can remember," Mr. Griffin explained.

Pax pondered this before asking, "Is it true that all Slytherins are evil?"

Pax's mother walked in. "Of course not," she said briskly, "Your great grandfather was a Slytherin, and he was in the old Order of the Phoenix. And to top all that off, he was the kindest student for many years at Hogwarts. If you asked, you were sure to receive his help, whether it was finding a lost book or rescuing a scared animal. Of course, the other Malfoys loathed his kindness and kicked him out of the family."

Pax listened with interest. Her mother hardly ever talked about her family, and this was the first she had heard of her great grandfather.

"What was his name?" Pax asked.

"His name was Jacob Malfoy," her mother said shortly, indicating that the conversation had finished.

After a long pause, Pax asked another question.

"What Houses were you in?"

Her parents smiled.

"Your mother was in Ravenclaw, and I was in Hufflepuff," her father answered.

Pax opened her mouth to ask yet another question, but her father cut her off.

"Pax, it's getting late. We'll go tomorrow to get your things from Diagon Ally, alright?"

Pax nodded. "Alright. Goodnight father and mother. See you in the morning!"

She sank into her bed a few minutes later, her head spinning with excitement. In a few minutes, however, she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4: An Unexpected Surprise

_Hello to all my amazing readers! before I do anything, I'd like to apologize profoundly for my absence. School has been hectic this year. 'Tis not a fair excuse, but I apologize nonetheless. I had forgotten how much I enjoy this. _

_Secondly, I would like to clarify some things:  
1\. Some of the characters will probably be a bit OP since they're having to react to a person that doesn't exist in the movie/book world._

_2\. I do not own any of the characters other than the Griffins. All credit goes to J K Rowling._

_3\. This is in fact my first full-length multi-chapter fanfic, and I'm sure it shows. Please be patient. I'm still learning. _

So, keeping that in mind, I give you the next part of Pax's story. :) Happy New Year!

**Chapter 4: An Unexpected Surprise **

Pax woke to the sound of birds singing and the smell of hotcakes.

"Pax!" called her father. "We need to get going!"

She groaned as she stretched, willing herself up and out of bed.

After forcing herself to sit up, she grabbed her glasses from her bedside table, knocking a piece of paper to the floor in the process. She bent down to retrieve it and felt a shiver of excitement and dread as she caught a glimpse of her name in golden ink.

"Not a dream," she stated to herself, not sure whether to laugh or cry.  
As she descended the stairs, she caught sight of not two, but three plates on the table, and she heard the murmur of distinct voices in the kitchen.

"Father?" she called out. "Do we have company?"  
Her mother bustled out of the kitchen with syrup and a pat of butter on a silver dish. "Of course not, Pax," she said, smiling. "You didn't think you'd be going alone, did you? Your father gets lost so easily, and I'm not sure he knows the difference between a Galleon and a Knut."  
Her father came out with some orange juice and cups in time to catch Mrs. Griffin's last remark. "It's true," he nodded. "The American Monetary Exchange system is quite different."

Pax chuckled as she sat down to eat, her mouth watering in anticipation.

"So, Pax, we figured we'd let you check out Madam Malkin's Robes while we dash over to Gringotts," her mother said as she poured syrup over her pancakes.

Pax nearly choked on her first bite. "On my own?" she coughed, reaching for her cup.

Her mother nodded. "We'll be there before you're finished," Mrs Griffin assured her.

Pax shrugged. "Okay..."  
"And after that we have a surprise," her father continued, refilling Pax's cup.

Pax grinned. "Really?"  
Her mom chuckled. "Two, actually."  
Pax had to keep herself from jumping up from the table and cheering.

"Oh, car's here," her father said as he carried plates to the kitchen.

"car?" questioned Pax, shrugging on a coat.

"Yes, the Ministry's agreed to lend us a car for the day," said Mrs Griffin as she grabbed her hat and purse.

Mr Griffin placed his own hat on his head and opened the door, then hurried his wife and daughter down the stairs and into the car.

Pax settled in and watched the houses fly by, her stomach tying itself in knots. Was she truly ready to attend Hogwarts? Was her application letter a mistake?

The mistake she was sure of was their stopping at a place called "The Leaky Cauldron". It was a torn up, shabby place, and she wasn't sure why her parents had decided to come here. "Father, what's going on?" she asked as they hurried inside.

Her father chuckled. "The way to Diagon Ally is through here, Pax," her father replied, pushing the door open. Immediately, good-natured greetings drifted out, but it wasn't until they had entered the room that Pax realized that they were not directed at her family; rather, they were all meant for a boy with unkempt black hair accompanied by a giant.

"Caleb, is that...?"" whispered Mrs. Malfoy to Mr Griffin.

"It may be," replied Mr Griffin, his eyes glowing.

Pax opened her mouth to ask what they meant, but she was unable to get a word in before her father swept her out the door, where her mother was studying a brick wall.

Her mother tapped a certain brick, and the wall wiggled until there was a hole in the wall wide enough for them to pass through.

Pax entered and gaped at all the shops, taking in the bustling, murmuring crowd, the towering shops, the cheerful greetings, and above it all the bright blue sky.

"Pax, you see that shop over there?" said her father, pointing at a shop with a sign that read _Madam Malkin's_.

Pax nodded as her father continued. "Go ahead and go in. We'll be back from Gringotts in time to pay."  
Pax swallowed nervously and nodded, then watched her parents merge into the crowd before slipping quietly into the shop, where she was greeted by a squat little witch in mauve robes.

"Hogwarts, first year?" asked the woman kindly.

"Yes, ma'am," said Pax softly.

The witch smiled and ushered her into the next room before helping her onto an elevated platform.

Pax looked around the shop as the woman measured her. The sight of all the fabrics, threads, and needles was so overwhelming that she didn't even notice him until he spoke.

"Ow! Be careful!"  
Pax's head whipped around and she fixed her gaze on a boy about her age that looked so much like her that it took her a full minute to remember that she was, in fact, a female.

"What're you staring at?" he snapped at her, glaring.

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. It's just, uhm, we kinda look..."  
Rridiculous? I agree. I don't see why we can't just wear our normal clothes," the boy complained. "Or at least get our robes somewhere that makes higher quality."  
At this Madam Malkin humphed and continued measuring Pax, though out of the corner of her eye Pax saw the witch's wand tip twitch in the boy's direction. Pax had to hide a grin when a second later another pin poked the boy's side, producing a yelp.

"What's your name?" Pax asked quickly before the boy could scold Madam Malkin again.

At this question the boy's chest puffed proudly. "Draco Malfoy," he drawled.  
"Malfoy?" said Pax, a bit startled. "As in Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" growled the boy. "You have a problem with my father?"

"Uhm, not really," replied Pax. "It's just a name I've heard before."

At this the boy's chest swelled more. "That's because we're well-known and respected for our Pureblood status," he bragged. "Father says I'm bound to be in Slytherin. Where do you hope to be? Hufflepuff?" he snickered.

She smiled. "I'm not sure yet."

He snorted. 'With that attitude you'll end up in Hufflepuff for sure."  
"Hufflepuff's not that bad," she replied, slightly offended that he had insulted her father's house. Her dislike for this boy had multiplied. This boy was her _cousin_? At this point she'd rather be related to a shark.

"No, it's not bad at all. After all, it is only the house that's produced the kindest, weakest wizards and witches London's ever known," he said.

"Kindness is not weakness!" she snapped. "In fact, I've heard that Jacob Malfoy was a lovely person and one of the smartest wizards of his time."  
Draco stared. "How'd you-?"  
"I've heard a lot about the Malfoys," Pax interrupted, smirking. "I also know that the Malfoys have a long history of disowning anyone related to them that's not high and lofty."

The boy looked at her, stunned and at a loss for words.

In the following silence Madam Malkin slipped the robe from Pax's shoulders and folded it, then handed it to her. "here you go, dear."

"Thank you," Pax said gratefully as she hopped off the pedestal and left the room without a second glance at Draco.

Madam Malkin followed Pax out. "Why didn't you tell him, dearie?" she asked.

"Tell him what?" asked Pax.

"That you're his cousin," she replied.

"Oh, uhm, I didn't want to. How did you know?" questioned Pax, startled.

"You look enough alike, and I know your parents well."

Pax smiled. "Oh. I do suppose it'd be quite obvious, though I wonder if he even noticed, he was so absorbed in himself."

Madam Malkin laughed as the doorbell jangled and Pax's parents entered the shop.

After exchanging pleasantries with Madam Malkin and paying for her robes, the Malfoy-Griffin family continued on their tour of Diagon Ally.

"Tired, Pax?" her father questioned, smiling as she shook her head. "Good, because our adventure has only just begun."


End file.
